Taking the torch to spread the word about the Peter Max inspired 1972 Topps Baseball set...count down style.

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

# 380 Earl Williams

Unloveable....a short career despite solid to
sometimes excellent numbers at the plate....Controversial, outspoken, and
sometimes vulgar traits that were a downfall....Rookie of the Year 1971 buoyed
by 28 home runs....virtually repeated numbers next year....maybe the most interesting
feat of career was not with his bat but an almost instantaneous conversion to
Catcher without any prior experience....The quality of his defensive play had
his supporters at first, then detractors later on....further problems came with
Earl’s eventual public reluctance to play backstop....traded to Orioles had
multiple conflicts while power numbers held at the par set with the Braves....upheavals
did not abate in 1974...numbers suffered too starting a sequence of
trades/releases....Returned to Braves for 1975....then split Braves and Expos
1976....released and picked up by the free agent decimated 1977 Oakland team...baseball’s
version ofa refugee camp at
time....chipped in 13 home runs for last place A’s.....Released afterwards and
didn’t get picked up...not exclusively at catcher but played 1st and
3rd too...wanted DH duties upon his arrival to the AL and didn’t get the role until last
his MLB season.